UK Says Jallianwala Bagh Massacre a Shameful Act

Sir Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India, who paid floral tributes to the martyrs at Jallianwala Bagh memorial, in Punjab’s Amritsar on Saturday, said today was a dark day in UK’s history.

Sir Dominic Asquith, incidentally, is great-grandson of HH Asquith, Prime Minister of England for eight years, from 1908 to 1916.

While commemorating the massacre the High Commisisoner said UK regrets deeply for what had happened.

The High Commissioner felt the events of Jallianwala Bagh this day 100 years ago (13.04.1919) reminds a “shameful act in British-India history.

Writing in the visitors book at the memorial after paying tributes, he said,”we deeply regret what happened and suffering caused. I am pleased that UK and India have remained committed to developing further, a thriving 21 century.”

‘Today we remember with deep sorrow those who were killed on 13 April 1919 and regret the suffering caused’: British High Commissioner to India #DominicAsquith

April 13, marks the 100 th anniversary of the massacre carried out by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer in which hundreds of unarmed innocent people, inclucing women and children, killed.

The people gathered in the enclosed area of Jallianwala Bagh to protest peacefully against the oppressive Rowlatt Act of the British government in 1919.

While British-India record put the death toll at 400,Indian counterpart says about a 1000 were killed in the fire opened by Dyer and his men.

” My great-grandfather HH Asquith, who was Prime Minister between 1908 and 1916, called it ‘one of the worst outrages in the whole of our history’. Her Majesty the queen has spoken of it as a distressing example of our past history with India, deeply regretting the suffering caused,” the High Commissioner added.

“On this anniversary”,he said, “I am conscious of how many there are, not just in India, whose minds are turned towards Amritsar and to the events of April 13, 1919. I approach today with deep sympathy for the victims and their families, and with remorse for the legacy of trauma. I reflect on the shame that my great-grandfather must have felt at the time, and the collective horror of the British people across the last century, on learning how their name has been tarnished”. (featured Pic from twitter)